• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Yezid Sayigh"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Arab Awakening"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Levant",
    "Syria",
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Security"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

Other
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Syria’s Age of Revolution: Peaceful Protest to Armed Struggle

The nature of the Syrian revolution is particularly complex. A deeper social reading on Syria is required to further understand the violence in Syria and the importance of its timing during the Arab uprisings.

Link Copied
By Yezid Sayigh
Published on Jan 13, 2014
Program mobile hero image

Program

Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

Learn More

Source: London School of Economics and Political Science

“The nature of what’s going on in Syria—the Syrian revolution—is so particularly complex,” said Carnegie’s Yezid Sayigh during a public lecture at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Sayigh reflected upon the notion of “revolution” as a framework to “understand the nature and the strengths and weaknesses of the protagonists – both the regime and its various foes.” 

Noting parallels with other historical experiences, such as the beginning of Palestinian activism, Sayigh explained the importance of social dynamics in Syria: “the sort of discourse we get and the sort of reporting we get on which a lot of policy is built is about good and bad…tyrannical regime versus democratic opposition, moderates versus radical Islamists.” Sayigh noted that it’s not necessarily wrong, but that “this kind of reporting, it doesn’t really tell us what is going on in Syria and certainly not enough to understand where things are going, and why they’ve gone where they are, and why we keep seeming to be surprised about where things have gone.”  

Sayigh emphasized the importance of a social reading on Syria, explaining that “had there not been an Arab Spring...the Syrian revolution—the uprising—probably wouldn’t have started just in that time, in that way.” Additionally, by looking at violence of the armed struggle, including “who wields violence, how it’s wielded, what for, with what discourse, that, I think, tells us more about the nature of the Syrian revolution.”

This conference was recorded and hosted by the London School of Economics and Political Science.

About the Author

Yezid Sayigh

Senior Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Yezid Sayigh is a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where he leads the program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States (CMRAS). His work focuses on the comparative political and economic roles of Arab armed forces, the impact of war on states and societies, the politics of postconflict reconstruction and security sector transformation in Arab transitions, and authoritarian resurgence.

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    Egypt’s Military Landlord Economy and its Limitations

      Yezid Sayigh

  • Commentary
    What Is Israel’s Plan in Lebanon?

      Yezid Sayigh

Yezid Sayigh
Senior Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Yezid Sayigh
Political ReformSecurityLevantSyriaMiddle East

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Japanese troops take part in a counter-landing live fire exercise as part of the annual Balikatan joint military drills on May 04, 2026 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte province, Philippines.
    Article
    The Two Logics Driving Japan’s Security Policy

    Japan’s revision of its three strategic documents reflects an intention to keep the United States engaged in the region while Japan fills any vacuums of U.S. power to preserve the Indo-Pacific order.

      • Ryo Sahashi

      Ryo Sahashi

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia’s Rubber-Stamp Duma Elections Are Exposing Schisms in Putin's Regime

    In the discussions made possible by the State Duma election campaign, one question is being asked more and more loudly. “What next?”

      Andrey Pertsev

  • Lee and Lula walking
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Why Korea’s President Skipped Washington for Silicon Valley and Brasília

    Lee’s tour shows how Seoul is reorganizing its diplomacy away from Pyongyang and toward industrial networks and the geography of the compute economy.

      Darcie Draudt-Véjares

  • Port cranes at sunset
    Commentary
    Emissary
    The Drone Attack on Egypt and the Widening Middle East War

    The targeting of Damietta Port appears to be more than a mere security message.

      Amr Hamzawy

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Whither the Lebanon-Syria Relationship?

    In an interview, Sohaib Jawhar analyzes the profound changes in the ties between the neighboring countries.

      Michael Young

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.